What Is an Adjective? Lesson 5.1

Here’s the Idea An adjective is a word that modifies, or describes, a noun or a noun. A heavy rainstorm soaked the campsite. Adjectives help you see, feel, taste, hear, and smell all the experiences you read about. Notice how adjectives make the second sentence in this pair more descriptive. Coyotes startled the campers. Noisy coyotes startled the sleepy campers. modifies adjective noun Adjectives answer the questions what kind, which one, how many, and how much.

Adjectives What kind? Which one or ones? How many or how much? green backpack last hamburger two flashlights sturdy tent third hike many insects spicy stew every lantern little moonlight

Articles The most commonly used adjectives are the articles a, an, and the. A and an are used with singular nouns. Use a before a word beginning with a consonant sound. a tent a candle a lamp The is an article that points to a particular person, place, thing, or idea. You can use the with singular or plural nouns. The hiker tripped on the trail and dropped the cameras.

Use a and an when you want to be less specific. Use the when you want to refer to a specific person, place, thing, or idea. Use a and an when you want to be less specific. Did the team leader bring a first-aid kit? Any First-aid Kit One Specific Leader

Nouns & Adjectives Noun rain scene beauty Adjective rainy scenic Many adjectives are formed from common nouns. Nouns & Adjectives Noun rain scene beauty Adjective rainy scenic beautiful

Proper Nouns & Proper Adjectives A proper adjective is formed from a proper noun. Proper adjectives are always capitalized. Proper Nouns & Proper Adjectives Proper Noun China Ireland Mars Proper Adjective Chinese Irish Martian

Practice Time! Underline each adjective once and the noun or pronoun it modifies twice. Central Park is now an American landmark. In 1858 there was a national competition for a plan to turn the spot into an attractive park. People tried to imagine a place where New Yorkers could enjoy the great outdoors. The park took the builders sixteen years to complete. There is also an Egyptian statue. Other attractions include a colorful carousel and a zoo. Many monuments are scattered throughout the park.